Basket



F b, 22, 195 w. M. SWARTZ BASKET Filed June 10, 1963 INVENTOR WILLIAM M.SWAR TZ FIG.3

United States Patent 3,236,410 BASKET William M. Swartz, Highland Park,Ill. (1430 W. Wrightwood Ave., Chicago 14, Ill.) Filed June 10, 1963,Ser. No. 286,651 2 Claims. (Cl. 22062) This invention relates to basketsand blanks for forming baskets. More particularly this invention relatesto baskets made of plastic material.

Wire baskets are well known and are used for various purposes forcarrying and displaying goods. These baskets, in order to impart thedesired rigidity to them, must be made of relatively heavy metal wirewhich renders the baskets heavy. These baskets must be produced in thefactory in final form and shipped to the user in final form. Baskets arebulky articles and the cost of shipping and handling the baskets is sogreat as to render their wide distribution almost prohibitive. Due tothe shipping and handling costs they are not usually shipped greatdistances, but must be manufactured in proximity to the place of use.Salesmen who sell baskets cannot carry a large number of them as samplesdue to their bulkiness. The user, usually maintains a supply on hand anddue to their bulkiness, they occupy a large amount of space which addsto their cost.

Metal wire baskets cannot be made in different colors at a reasonablecost and they usually have the drab appearance of metal such as steel.The metal of these baskets has a tendency to rust which impairs theappearance and shortens the useful life of the baskets and theindividual wires or the basket as a whole may be easily bent out ofshape by a strong blow.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a basket whichis relatively rigid yet light in weight and which overcomes the defectsof the prior art baskets.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a basket made of anopen mesh integral sheet of plastic material.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a basket fordisplay purposes which is made of plastic material having any desiredcolor or which is multicolored and one which will not rust and cannoteasily be bent out of shape.

It is another object of this invention to provide a blank in the form ofa flat open mesh sheet of plastic material which blank may be easilyerected in the form of a basket, so that a number of blanks may beshipped, handled and stored at a fraction of the cost of shipping,handling and storing a like number of preformed baskets.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear to thoseskilled in the art from the detailed description given below when takenin connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the open mesh sheet which forms the blank.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the basket which may be formed from theblank of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the rods forming the blank asviewed from the rear of the blank showing the two grooves formed in therod.

FIG. 4 is a view of the rod similar to FIG. 3 as viewed from the frontof the blank.

FIG. 5 is a perspective enlarged view of the locking means.

Referring to the drawing, 1 generally designates the novel blank. Blank1 comprises a flat rectangular section 2 having projections 3 and 4extending from the ends thereof. The projections 3 and 4 are, as shownin FIG. 1, of less width than the rectangular section 2 and are3,236,410 Patented Feb. 22, 1966 positioned inwardly from thelongitudinal edges of the blank. Furthermore, the longitudinal edges ofthe projections 3, 4 are of unequal length and the lateral or end edgesof the projections 3, 4 are at an acute angle to the longer of thelongitudinal edges of the projections 3, 4. Section 2 and projections 3and 4 are each formed of a plurality of intersecting rods of plasticmaterial 5 and 6 integrally united together. Each of the rods 5 formingthe section 2 is scored or formed with a groove 7 on one side thereof attwo spaced points to form plastic hinges to enable the rods to be bentup at an angle, to the plane of the blank. The grooves 7 on the rods arepositioned in substantial alignment with each other along the length ofthe blank and in substantial alignment with the longitudinal edges ofthe projections. The portions of each rod 6 forming the two projections3 and 4 are similarly scored or formed with grooves 8, the grooves beingin substantial alignment with each other and with the lateral edges ofthe section 2 and serve a purpose similar to grooves 7.

Each portion of the rods 6 forming the longitudinal edges of theprojections 3 and 4 and each of the rods 5 forming the lateral edges ofsection 2 are provided with cooperating retaining or locking means 9 and10 to retain the walls of the basket in upright position when the rodsare bent up to form the basket shown in FIG. 2.

The entire blank 1 including the retaining means is formed as anintegral structure. The blank may be conveniently formed in a singlemolding operation such as by injection molding or casting in a suitablemold. The grooves 7 and 8 may also be formed during the moldingoperation, or the rods may be molded smooth and the grooves later cuttherein. The specific manner in which the blank is formed is not hereclaimed and the blank may be formed in any suitable manner. Thuspreformed rods of plastic material of suitable length may be assembledin the manner indicated in FIG. 1 and the rods fused together at theirpoints of intersection by the use of heat or solvent. Also groups ofrods may be integrally molded and a number of groups then fusedtogether.

While the retaining means 9 and 10 are shown as integral with the edgerods, the retaining means may be made separate and may be made ofplastic material or metal. Also the retaining means may not be of theexact type shown in the drawing. Any suitable means capable of retainingthe walls of the basket in upright position may be used.

Any suitable plastic which is capable of forming rods of sufficientrigidity to be self-sustaining yet light in weight and which plastic iscapable of being bent without cracking, may be used to form the rods.Thus plasticized cellulose acetate, nylon, vinyl resin, polyethylene andmany other plastic materials may be used to form applicants novel blank.Applicant, however, has found that polypropylene is ideally suited forthis purpose, since it has the strength and rigidity required to producea strong light weight basket and the rods may be bent numerous timeswithout cracking.

The rods may be formed of clear transparent plastic or they may beformed of colored plastic having any desired color, in order to enhancethe appearance of the basket. The coloring of the plastic may beaccomplished by incorporating a suitable pigment or dye in the plasticmaterial prior to the molding of the blank or rods. If the rods areformed individually or in groups and then fused together by heat orsolvent to form the blank, the individual rods or groups of rods may becolored as described above or in any suitable manner with differentcolors and then fused together to form a multicolored integral blank andbasket. The blank or individual rods thereof may also be embossed orotherwise formed with 1 having an enlarged split head :16 thereon.

decorative or advertizing matter during the molding thereof.

While the individual rods forming the blank are shown in the drawing asbeing straight, this need not be so, but the individual rods may bemolded to have a slight curvature or a zig-zag or any other desiredconfiguration for decorative purposes. Also, the rods need not becircular in cross-section but may be of flattened or flutedcross-section as desired.

The erected basket is shown in FIG. 2 wherein 11 is the bottom of thebasket, 12 and 13 are the side walls formed by bending up the portionsof the rods 5 of section 2 along the grooves 7 and 14 and 15 are the endwalls formed by bending up rods 6 of the projections 3 and 4 alonggrooves 8. It will be noted from FIGS. 1 and 2 that the fold lineforming grooves 7 divide the central part of the blank into a back wall13, bottom wall 11 and front wall 12 with the front wall 12 beingshorter than the back wall 13. The walls 12, 13, 14 and 15 are heldtogether in upright position by engagement of locking or retaining means9 and 10. As shown, 9 is a semicircular loop and is a protrusion Inerecting the basket, after the side and end walls are bent, the heads 16are. compressed by the fingers and passed through the loops 9, which.are of asizejust sufiicient to permit the compressed heads to passtherethrough. Upon release of the pressure, the heads expand to theiroriginal size due tothe resiliency of the plastic material and lock theside and end walls in position. When the use of the basket is no longerrequired, it may be knocked down by again compressing the heads of rods10 and forcing them'out of the loops and bending the walls 12, 13, 14and back and return the basket to fiat blank form. Due to the resiliencyof the plastic material the erection and knock down of the basket may beperformed a number of times.

Thus the manufacturer may ship the blanks to the purchaser or thesalesman carry his samples in flat condition thereby materially reducingthe cost of shipping and. the space requirement. The purchaser may storethe blanks until he desires to use them in a fraction of the spacerequired to store like baskets of the prior art. When the purchaser orsalesman desires to use or display the baskets, they may be easilyerected at the point of use by bending up the rods at the grooves andengaging the locking or retaining means. No tools are necessary. When itis desired to again store these baskets, the locking means may bedisengaged and the blank returned to its fiat condition for easystorage.

The basket being formed of plastic material, the individual rods thereofcannot rust, and when struck by a blow are not bent permanently, sincethe springiness of the plastic material will cause them to return totheir molded shape.

Modifications maybe resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An open mesh basket comprising a fiat blank formed of a single pieceof plastic having intersecting rods that extend in the longitudinal andtransverse directions of the blank and which are united at theirintersections by the material of the plastic toconstitute an open gridpattern, said blank having a central rectangular portion and aprojection extending outwardly from each of two opposite sides of thecentral portion, each projection having two margins that extendsubstantially at right angles to the sides of the central portion andwith said margins of one projection being in substantial alignment withthe corresponding margins of the other projection, each projection alsohaving an end that intersects one of the two margins of the projectionto form an angle, the rods of said central portion that run in one ofthe two directions each having a pair of grooves that reduce thethickness of the rods transversely thereof and with the grooves formingsubstantially straight parallel fold lines that extend substantiallyfrom one of said sides of the central portion to the other and which aresubstantially in alignment respectively with the said margins of theprojections, the fold lines dividing the central portion into threeadjacent substantially rectangular sections with one of the sectionsbeing adjacent to one of the margins of the projections and having awidth approximately equal to the length of said last-mentioned margin, asecond of the sections being bounded by the fold lines, and the third ofthe sections being adjacent to the other of said margins of theprojections and having a width approximately equal to the length of saidother of said margins, the rods in said second section that run in theother of the two directions each having a pair of grooves that reducethe thickness of the rods transversely thereof and form substantiallystraight parallel fold lines that are at right angles to the firstmentioned fold lines and are at the junctures of said projections andsaid second of the sections and which extend substantially throughoutsaid junctions, each of the grooves lying remote from the intersectionsof the rods and the grooves of each fold line being endwise spacedapart, said blank being foldable about said fold lines so that thesecond of the sections forms the front wall thereof, the third of thesections forms the back wall thereof, and the projections form the sidewalls thereof with the ends of the projections extending from the topedge of the back wall to the top edge of the front wall to formtherewith an opening into the basket, and cooperating means on the saidmargins of the projections and the adjacent sides of the front and backwalls for securing the walls of the basket together to retain its shapewhen the basket is formed.

2. A basket according to claim 1 in which said cooperating meanscomprises loops and protrusions projecting through the loops, eachprotrusion having a split head of such size as to permit the head to becompressed to pass through its associated loop and thereafter expand toprevent retraction of the protrusion from the loop.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 497,265 5/1893Pia 220-76 2,420,353 5/ 1947 Burrows. 2,500,338 3/1950 Bergstein 220622,649,991 8/1953 Woock 22083 2,739,734 3/1956 Pugh 22062 2,839,2146/1958 Crane 220-83 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN OPEN MESH BASKET COMPRISING A FLAT BLANK FORMED OF A SINGLE PIECEOF PLASTIC HAVING INTERSECTING RODS THAT EXTEND IN THE LONGITUDINAL ANDTRANSVERSE DIRECTIONS OF THE BLANK AND WHICH ARE UNITED AT THEIRINTERSECTIONS BY THE MATERIAL OF THE PLASTIC TO CONSTITUTE IN OPEN GRIDPATTERN, SAID BLANK HAVING A CENTRAL RECTANGULAR PORTION AND APROJECTION EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM EACH OF TWO OPPOSITE SIDES OF THECENTRAL PORTION, EACH PROJECTION HAVING TWO MARGINS THAT EXTENDSUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE SIDES OF THE CENTRAL PORTION ANDWITH SAID MARGINS OF ONE PROJECTION BEING IN SUBSTANTIAL ALIGNMENT WITHTHE CORRESPONDING MARGINS OF THE OTHER PROJECTION, EACH PROJECTION ALSOHAVING AN END THAT INTERSECTS ONE OF THE TWO MARGINS OF THE PROJECTIONTO FORM AN ANGLE, THE RODS OF SAID CENTRAL PORTION THAT RUN IN ONE OFTHE TWO DIRECTIONS EACH HAVING A PAIR OF GROOVES THAT REDUCE THETHICKNESS OF THE RODS TRANSVERSELY THEREOF AND WITH THE GROOVES FORMINGSUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT PARALLEL FOLD LINES THAT EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY ROMONE OF SAID SIDES OF THE CENTRAL PORTION TO THE OTHER AND WHICH ARESUBSTANTIALLY IN ALIGNMENT RESPECTIVELY WITH THE SAID MARGINS OF THEPROJECTIONS, THE FOLD LINES DIVIDING THE CENTRAL PORTION INTO THREEADJACENT SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR SECTIONS WITH ONE OF THE SECTIONSBEING ADJACENT TO ONE OF THE MARGINS OF THE PROJECTIONS AND HAVING AWIDTH APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE LENGTH OF SAID LAST-MENTIONED MARGIN, ASECOND OF THE SECTIONS BEING BOUNDED BY THE FOLD LINES, AND THE THIRD OFTHE SECTIONS BEING ADJACENT TO THE OTHER OF SAID MARGINS OF THEPROJECTIONS AND HAVING A WIDTH APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE LENGTH OF SAIDOTHER OF SAID MARGINS, THE RODS IN SAID SECOND SECTION THAT RUN IN THEOTHER OF THE TWO DIRECTIONS EACH HAVING A PAIR OF GROOVES THAT REDUCETHE THICKNESS OF THE RODS TRANSVERSELY THEREOF AND FORM SUBSTANTIALLYSTRAIGHT PARALLEL FOLD LINES THAT ARE AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE FIRSTMENTIONED FOLD LINES AND ARE AT THE JUNCTURES OF SAID PROJECTIONS ANDSAID SECOND OF THE SECTIONS AND WHICH EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUTSAID JUNCTIONS, EACH OF THE GROOVES LYING REMOTE FROM THE INTERSECTIONSOF THE RODS AND THE GROOVES OF EACH FOLD LINE BEING ENDWISE SPACEDAPART, SAID BLANK BEING FOLDABLE ABOUT SAID FOLD LINES SO THAT THESECOND OF THE SECTIONS FORMS THE FRONT WALL THEREOF, THE THIRD OF THESECTIONS FORMS THE BACK WALL THEREOF, AND THE PROJECTIONS FORM THE SIDEWALLS THEREOF WITH THE ENDS OF THE PROJECTIONS EXTENDING FROM THE TOPEDGE OF THE BACK WALL TO THE TOP EDGE OF THE FRONT WALL TO FORMTHEREWITH AN OPENING INTO THE BASKET, AND COOPERATING MEANS ON THE SAIDMARGINS OF THE PROJECTIONS AND THE ADJACENT SIDES OF THE FRONT AND BACKWALLS FOR SECURING THE WALLS OF THE BASKET TOGETHER TO RETAIN ITS SHAPEWHEN THE BASKET IS FORMED.